Hypertension: Facts About High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against the artery walls. It is measured using two numbers: systolic (the number on top) indicates the pressure when the heart contracts, and diastolic indicates the pressure while the heart rests between beats.
Anything below 120/80 is considered normal. Systolic blood pressure over 140 [...]

Why is High Blood Pressure so Dangerous?

What happens when you put your thumb over the end of a running hose?  The pressure builds up inside.  Now imagine if that hose were made of delicate human tissue rather than strong, resilient rubber.  See where we’re going with this?
Hypertension is dangerous because it causes complications with other essential systems in your body.  Chronic [...]

The 3 Types of Hypertension

There are three types of high blood pressure:
Essential hypertension: No specific treatable cause.  This is the case for most people suffering from hypertension.
Secondary hypertension: When the cause of hypertension is another underlying condition, such as a kidney disorder.  Usually, when the underlying cause is taken care of the blood pressure returns to a normal level.
Pregnancy [...]

Controlling Your High Blood Pressure

The first step to managing high blood pressure is usually lifestyle changes.  Maintaining a healthy weight along with proper nutrition and exercise, as well as limiting alcohol intake are the first steps toward bringing blood pressure down to normal levels.  If necessary, many types of medications are available.  Here is a list taken from the [...]